Auria
by Sarcastic Alphabet
Summary: Haley is a faerie eager to step into the world of the humans. There, she meets Tyler: interesting, funny, and charming. She can be herself with him, but not for long; faeries and humans don't mix, and Haley's relationship with Tyler follows that rule.


**Auria**

**Chapter 1—**

The snapping of a stick pierced the darkness. I held my breath. _Damn!_ Heart pounding loudly in my chest, I slowly lowered myself to the ground, pressing myself against the house.

I counted seconds until they blended into minutes. _Maybe it's not safe tonight. Another time, then._ I stood up noiselessly and walked out of the neighborhood.

My heart slowed to its regular rhythm as I entered the forest. My feet knew the way back, moving without me thinking about it. There was a noise behind me. I paused at once, listening. _What was that?_

There was silence for a moment, and then I heard it again. Low, slow breathing.

Suddenly arms wrapped themselves over my shoulders, crossing over my chest.

"Got you." Lips pressed themselves against my neck.

"Damnit, Lance. Don't you have better things to do in the middle of the night?"

"None that don't involve you." Lance turned me around to face him. His tall figure was silhouetted against the moon.

"I love you too, all that jazz," I said, searching his face for his eyes. They glinted softly in the dark.

"So what are _you_ doing in the middle of the night?" he asked. For a minute, I just stood there, mesmerized by his voice.

"What?" I shook my head to clear it.

"What are you doing out of bounds?" he said it stronger this time, so I knew he wanted an answer.

"Just bored." _Some answer._

Lance kissed my nose. "I'll entertain you."

I pushed at his chest. "Not that kind of bored."

"Then which kind?" he sounded slightly hurt, but I bet he did that on purpose.

"Bored as in we live inside walls. Been there, done that. It's all the same! I want to see new stuff."

Lance sighed. "Everything bores you," he fiddled with my hair a little, "hey, how about we go to the party tonight?"

"Party? What party?"

"Your _birthday_ party, smart one." _Oh. That party._

"Sure, fine. Whatever," I said, to piss him off.

"You can be a real bitch, you know?" he turned around and walked away from me. I heard his footsteps fade away.

"You can be a real bitch, you know?" I said mockingly, distorting my voice. _Whatever._

Ignoring the wall 5 feet in front of me, I took off my jacket and laid it on the leafy ground. I curled up on top of it, looking at the few stars visible between the treetops.

A cold wind blew in my face. I shut my eyes against it, trying to block out the images flashing behind my eyelids.

Footsteps woke me. Loud, careless footsteps. I opened my eyes and scanned the forest quickly. _Why is everything tilted? Oh, right._ I sat up and looked around me.

_There it is._ My eyes focused on an approaching figure. _Correction. There _he_ is_. He had a funny bag that hung on his side. A strap went over the other shoulder, rubbing what appeared to be painfully against his neck.

As he approached, he slowed, looking down at me. He had a strange look on his face. I realized what I looked like; large wings growing out of my back.

"Rough night?" he asked. His accent was strange. Human.

"Huh?" _oh._ He wasn't looking at my wings. Instead, he was staring at my messy hair with leaves in it. As he glanced down at my jacket, I pushed my wings back in.

_Who is this guy?_ "What are you doing _here_?" I asked, oh-so-smoothly. I tried to remove all the leaves from my hair without him noticing.

"Going to school." He pointed down at a trail I hadn't noticed last night.

"Oh." I said, blushing.

"I don't recognize you. Are you new here?"

_New?_ "New? Dude, I live here," I said without thinking.

He stared at me.

"No, that's not what I meant. Yes, I'm new."

After a pause, he asked, "do you go to school here?"

_Um._ "Kind of. I'm from…Rika." _I hope that's a place._

"Rika?"

"It's… a state. In…" I racked my brains to think of something. "Russia!"

"Never heard of it."

I held my breath.

"You don't have a Russian accent," he continued pleasantly.

"I'm not Russian. I just lived there for a while with…my grandparents." _I don't think he's following me._

"That's cool," he said, smiling at me. _Cool? Is that a compliment?_ "I'm Tyler."

_Shit. Now I have to tell him my name._ "Um, since I'm new, could you help me get to school?" _god, that sounded lame._ But _Tyler_ just nodded.

I got up quickly and grabbed my jacket. "Let's go."

"That's what you're going to wear? Don't you want to change or something?"

"Why? What's wrong with this?" I looked down at myself. I was just wearing what I normally did: a low-cut cami that was cut off above my bellybutton and slightly too-big jeans that hung low on my hips.

He coughed before answering, "it's fine." I looked up in time to see him averting his eyes from my chest. I narrowed my eyes at him, but he didn't see it.

"So you're an exchange student?"

_A what?_ "Um, yeah."

"What was your school like in Russia?"

"I didn't go to school." _Is that normal?_

He didn't comment.

We were out of the woods by now, on a sidewalk. Tyler walked faster than me so I started to lag behind. I looked absentmindedly through a shop window and stopped. It was jewelry like I'd never seen before. Tyler didn't notice and kept walking.

_That's gorgeous! Ooh, those would look good on me. I like _that_!_ I was too busy staring at a necklace to see two guys approaching me from the left.

"Hey," one of them drawled, "what's your name, pussy?"

I started and turned to look at the speaker. He was a big, brawny guy. I put on a seductive look and tried to sound sexy as I answered, "Emily. What about you, big boy?"

He looked shocked that I actually answered him. _This is too easy._

"Um, Kyle. Do you want to get like a coffee or something?"

"There's a party tonight. Why don't you come?"

The two boys exchanged a look. "Sure," answered Kyle. He stepped nearer and I put my arms around his neck, leaning in with my head. His eyes closed as if he actually thought I was going to kiss him. Then I dug into his neck with my nails.

"Ow!" he opened his eyes and put a hand up to feel. It came away red. I lifted my knee and got him in the groin. "Jesus!" he bent over and I kicked his head hard with my foot. With a groan, he fell over backwards.

I turned around. The other guy just stood openmouthed. "What about you? Do you want to come to my party?" he shook his head. I grabbed his arm with my nails and pulled him down to my height. "No, I insist," I hissed in his ear.

"Let go!" instead, I twisted his wrist violently. I heard something snap. He howled in pain. For good measure, I punched him in the face then stomach. His knees bent beneath him and he fell to the ground.

"Sorry, party canceled. Kyle, help your poor boyfriend up." I pretended to take a picture, "aww, don't you two make the perfect couple?" I stepped over Kyle and continued down the sidewalk. "Tyler, wait up."

I didn't need to say it though. Tyler had stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and was watching me with a dazed look on his face.

"What?" I asked him.

He stared at me for a while before answering. "We're going to be late for school."

But I didn't want to go to school like a good girl. I pointed behind him and said the first thing that came into my head, "look, a pony!"

Tyler looked around and I took off. Not left or right. Oh no. I went up. Straight up with my lovely wings and over his head.

"I don't see it," said Tyler. He turned back around. "Hey! Emily? Where'd you go?

I quickly took a crumpled piece of paper and a pen from my pocket and wrote:

That's not my name.

-H

I crumpled it back up and threw it into the air. As soon as it left my hand, I flew to the right and landed on the store roof.

Tyler was still looking around when the paper fell. I flattened myself on the roof. He turned when it fell, and then look up. He picked it up and opened it.

"H," he muttered to himself. Finally giving up, he put the note in his bag and continued down the street at a fast pace. _I hope I didn't make him late._

I turned my back and jumped lightly into the air. My soft, clear wings lifted me higher and higher until I was above the clouds. I loved doing this; it was so peaceful. Just me, the sun, and a sea of white fluff.

Angling my wings south, I flew slowly, letting my feet skim the clouds.

It didn't take long to enter to forest, where I descended on top of the wall. I sat there, dangling my legs over the edge. I daydreamed for a while until I saw Lance approaching. He spread his wings and glided over to where I sat.

"Hey," he said.

I didn't reply, still lost in my daydream.

"Haley, I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean to say what I did about you. I felt really bad all night and—are you even listening to me?" he put his hand over my shoulder and rocked me back and forth.

"What?" I asked, annoyed at him ruining my perfect illusion.

"I said I'm sorry." He was cross at me ignoring him, but he said it sincerely.

"Yeah, same," I grinned at him, "shall we kiss and make up?"

"I say we shall," he said. He put his arm around my neck, drawing me closer, and our mouths met.

Kissing Lance was something I could spend all day doing, if it weren't for the fact that I need to breathe to stay alive. It made me feel good inside, like a tingling. The beginning is slow and soft, but something clicks in our minds and then we are madly grabbing at each other's face and pressing our bodies together.

He weaved his hand through my hair, holding my head close. He held my hand tightly in the other. I grasped his face in my hands, forbidding him to move away.

I started feeling light headed from lack of oxygen, but this moment was too good to loose. My mind may have died, but my lungs were desperate for air. Finally, when I couldn't stand it anymore, I broke free. I gasped for a while, staring into Lance's eyes.

"Your eyes are preeeeety," I said drunkenly. Lance was breathing heavily, but he laughed at that.

"I feel better now. Well, my lungs don't, but they're not important," I told Lance when I could talk normally.

A sudden buzzing in my pocket startled me. I pulled out my cell phone and flipped it open.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Oh my god. Haley, you won't believe what Jeremy just said!" Kala sounded on the verge of tears.

"What did he say?"

"He said that he would rather go out with a human than me!" Kala sobbed. I felt guilty when I remembered Tyler, "and then he gave my ring back. I offered him the one he gave me. You know it, the little gold one with the ruby in the center? And Jeremy said he didn't want it once I'd touched it!" Kala burst into tears loudly on the other end.

"What an ass. Kala, don't pay any attention to him. He just wants more than you're giving him, and he won't be getting it for a while."

"Thanks Haley." I imagined her giving me a watery smile.

"Hey, listen K. I have to go now, but I'll see you soon, alright?"

"Okay," mumbled Kala into the phone.

I hung up.

"Lance, I gotta go now. I promised mom I would help her around the house." I kissed him on the lips lightly and slid of the wall, landing softly on the ground. I turned and waved.

I walked into the cover of trees. As soon as I was out of sight, I turned right and started running. I came to the wall, far away from where Lance was still sitting. I flew up and over using my sneakers to break my fall.

I followed the trail Tyler and I had used, coming to the town. _How long does school last, anyway?_ I pulled out my phone and checked the time. 10:32.

I stopped at the jewelry store. A clerk stood inside. I pushed against the door before reading the PULL sign._ Right._ Managing to get past the door, I made my way to the counter.

"Good morning," I said to the clerk.

"How may I help you?" he asked, obviously wondering what the heck a kid was doing in his store.

"I want to know how much the pendant is that's hanging in the window. It's the silver one with the green gem."

The clerk removed it from the window and brought it over to the counter. "This one?" he asked.

"Yeah, that's it. How much does it cost?"

"Too much for you, young miss."

"I suppose so, but I wanted to know how much money wise. You know, the US currency? Dollars and stuff."

The clerk flushed a deep red. He looked at the necklace, typed a few stuff into his computer and said, "$390. Plus tax." He looked smugly at me.

"Okay, thanks." I smiled at him and left. Out of the clerk's view, I said loudly, "Daddy, will you buy me that necklace?" I picked a paper napkin of the ground and passed my hand over it. In my other hand lay a check.

I walked back in the store. "My daddy said he'll get it for me," I said pleasantly to the clerk and handed him the check.

"Um, is your father outside?"

"Nope. I'm supposed to meet him at the market. But that's okay, he already signed it."

"So he did," muttered the clerk. Giving me a strange look, he opened the cash register, put in the check, and closed the drawer. "I'll need somebody to sign this," he said to me, handing me the receipt.

"Somebody? There's a lady outside. Do you want me to ask her to sign it for us?"

"Somebody from your family over 18," said the clerk through gritted teeth.

"I'll be 18 in a half year. Does that count?"

The clerk started to say "no", but I'd had enough.

"I sign it, and you give me the necklace. Comprende?" I didn't know what that word meant, but it sounded good. I yanked the receipt out of his hand and pulled a pen from my pocket. I signed it as Emily Taylor, thinking of Tyler.

"Your father's last name is Brown." He raised an eyebrow.

"He's actually my stepfather, but my mom and I didn't want to change our last names. Now, can I have the necklace?"

"Do you want it wrapped?"

"No, just give it to me," I replied.

He handed me the necklace, and I promptly put it on.

"Spoiled brat," he muttered under his breath, but my good hearing caught it.

"Stuck up ass," I said, so he could hear.

I walked out of the jewelry store with my new necklace on. I was intent, now, on finding Tyler's school. I wasn't going to _stalk_ him. No, I was just going to follow him around the whole day without him knowing.

"Excuse me," I said to a lady whose hands were full of grocery bags, "I just moved here and I need to give my teacher a note saying that I'm new, but I can't remember what street the school is on."

"Eh? Oh, it's on the left," mumbled the woman, and shuffled off. _On the left? Oh, that's helpful._

That was until I noticed that there was only one road in the whole town. _Gee, a bit tiny, isn't it?_

It wasn't hard to find the school. It was a small, brick building. _I bet there are only, like, three classrooms._

I walked bravely through the front doors and found myself in a cramped little office. I went over to the desk and eyed the old lady that was behind it.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

She looked up at me. "How may I help you, deary?"

_Deary?_ I muffled a snicker.

"I'm looking for a friend of mine. I want to know what class he's in right now."

"Sure, honey." She wiggled the mouse and her computer woke up groggily. She opened a file and typed in a few things. "What's his name and grade?"

"Huh?" I hadn't been paying attention.

"His name, honey. What's his name?"

I gave her a smile. "I'm new here, and don't know his last name. But his first is Tyler and he's my age."

"And how old are you?"

"Sixteen."

"Sixteen," she repeated to herself. "And what does he look like?"

"Tall. Dark brown hair. Kinda long. To the bottom of his ears." I could answer the question perfectly, due to the amount of staring I did.

"Oh, that's Tyler Gales. He's a 10th grader. Very nice boy," Rambled the old lady while I mentally stored his name.

"Let's see. Ah yes. He's in Spanish right now. His class gets out in ten minutes. Would you like to wait for him here?"

"Yes please," I said, "thank you." I smiled at her and sat down to wait in a blue plastic chair.

I'd heard somewhere that time seems to go by slowly for humans when they're waiting for something. But not for faeries. The ten minutes was gone in a flash, just had my moment with Lance.

_Lance._ I tried not to feel guilty.

"Honey?" said the lady at the desk. I looked up, "Tyler's class get's out now. The Spanish room is on the left."

"Thanks." I got up from my chair and stretched quickly. I went down the only hall in the whole building and looked at the first door.

I expected it to say what classroom was behind it, but it didn't. The door was bare. No room number or anything.

As I stared at it in horror, the door opened and out poured humans. _Ahh! How will I find Tyler?_

I tapped one on the shoulder. She turned around and stared at my chest with obvious jealousness.

"Excuse me, where is the Spanish room?"

"Second one from the end on the left."

"Thanks."

I took off in that direction, pushing between people to get to the end. _Second one from the end. Second one from the end. There!_ I finally found the right door. But it was already open, and it's contents spilling out into the already crowded hallway.

_Where is he?_ I looked quickly at each human. _Blonde, brunette, blonde, redhead, brunette, black. Ooh, purple! Is that a hair color?_

"Where's Tyler?" I asked a human boy. He looked at me with a grin.

"Tyler? He's over there." The boy pointed over the head of a short human girl. _Or is it a boy? Kinda hard to tell really…_

I nodded my thanks to the human without looking at him. I'd spotted Tyler's dark brown hair over the sea of heads.

_Stealth mode._

I walked towards him quietly, slipping between the bodies around me. There was no way he would see me. _All I have to do is follow him home. He won't see me._

But even as I thought it, he stopped walking. As if he felt my gaze. But humans couldn't do that! All my studying had told me otherwise.

Then he started to turn. _He won't look behind him. Please don't turn around!_

Despite my silent pleading, he did. Recognition flashed across his face and he started towards with a smile.

But I didn't want to talk to him. I was stalking him. _I'm pretty sure when you stalk someone, you don't let them see you and then talk to you._

I turned around quickly and raced away.

I would have made it if he hadn't called out.

"Hey, Emily!"

I don't know what was it about that name. I wouldn't have paid any attention if he had actually said _my_ name.

It was like half my body wanted to talk to him.

I took a step forward, but my body jerked back, cascading me to the ground.

A hand reached down and pulled mine up. I stood back on my feet and was forced to look at him.

"You okay, Emily?" he asked.

"That's not my frikkin-" I stopped suddenly, realizing that people were watching us. "Yes, thank you," I said politely, "I, uh, have to get to class. If you'll excuse me…"

I had meant to slide smoothly by him, but that didn't go so well. He held an arm out and stopped me easily.

"Wait, I want to talk to you." He smiled as if what he had said was a good thing. _No! No, go away!_ Unfortunately, I couldn't say that aloud.

"I, um… have to go because…" I looked around for inspiration, "my grandmother is sick in the hospital." I silently thanked the flyer that read "Grandparents' Day this Friday!"

"Uh huh. Yeah," Tyler rolled his eyes at me, "do you really think I'm that dumb?"

_Um, yeah? You're a human, dude._ "No really." I tried to look innocent.

"Then why don't I walk you too the hospital?" he asked politely, calling my bluff.

"Don't you have to stay in school?"

He shook his head, "it's a teacher in-service day. For us students, that means we get to go home early. You know, a half day," he narrowed his eyes at me, "however, you wouldn't know that since you don't actually go here."

"I-"

"Why did you run from me before?" he asked, changing the subject abruptly, "You know, with the pony?"

I blushed and looked down at my feet.

"May I walk you home at least?" he asked.

I looked up, startled. _Walk? The whole way? Humans don't have that much energy. It's not natural for them!_

"Um, sure," I said slowly, like I was talking to a mentally retarded person.

"Where do you live?"

"Um, I'm out of town."

"Yeah, I figured that. But where are you staying in the mean time, Russia-girl?"

_Russia-girl?_

"Um…"

"Why don't you lead the way?" he suggested.

_Wow… this is awkward._

"Oh-kaay…"

Trying to ignore Tyler, I walked at what I thought was a normal pace. However, I glanced back after a minute of silence to see him trailing behind.

"Hurry up!"

"Not all of us can walk uber fast," he said, smiling at me.

_What's with all the smiling?!_ "That wasn't fast. You're just slow, that's all."

"Only compared to you."

We walked silently for a while. I made sure to go in slow motion so he wouldn't fall behind again.

"I like your necklace. It suits you," said Tyler suddenly.

I jumped a little. "What? Oh, that. Thanks." I tried my hardest not to blush, but could feel my face burning.

"so where _do_ you live?" he asked.

_Lie._ I tried to listen to that half of my brain without success.

_I don't want to lie to him. He's cute._ I smiled automatically as the much larger part of my brain took over.

"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers," I said teasingly with another smile.

"I'm not a stranger," he protested.

"Maybe not, but you sure are strange."

He laughed quietly.

We were on the small trail through the woods now. I stopped as soon as I caught sight of the wall.

"You can leave me here."

"I'm not going to leave you alone in the woods!" he said indignantly.

"it's perfectly safe."

"you don't know that."

"go away."

"no."

I hesitated. I tried a different tone. "Please?"

He looked at me for a second, hands in his pockets.

"will I see you tomorrow?"

"huh?"

"will you be in my line of sight sometime tomorrow?"

"oh. Um… sure." I immediately felt guilty, and mentally promised Lance that we could do something fun for the rest of the day.

He sighed. "alright then. Bye Emily." He flashed me a grin. I grimaced at the traitorous name that had betrayed me earlier today.

"bye."

I watched him carefully, making sure he didn't sneak behind a tree to watch me. But he stayed true to his word. Not that he had actually promised to leave… When he was out of sight, I took a running jump to the top of the wall. I sat there, my knees bent, my head on my knees and my arms around them, pulling my body into a ball.

I used to think of Lance in my spare time. But for once, my mind was blank. Except for this little nagging voice in the back of my head.

_Tyler…_


End file.
